Dozens arrested over anniversary street riots

The Hellenic Police (ELAS) announced on Thursday that 193 people were detained, of whom 30 were arrested, in connection with street riots that erupted in Athens and Thessaloniki on Wednesday night after marches and rallies commemorating the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Alexis Grigoropoulos in 2008 by a police special guard. 

Of the 128 detainments in Athens, 14 turned into arrests, while in Thessaloniki 35 people were detained, with 16 arrested. Last year 54 people were detained and nine arrested. 

Police sources cited by the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA) assessed that the preventive measures taken for the rallies and marches paid off.

The same sources said there was an increased participation in Athens in rallies and marches compared to previous years. Indicatively, about 9,000 people participated on Wednesday. In Thessaloniki, the number of participants was about half that.